Article On NBA Personalities & Players Having WWE Counterparts

Grantland.com features an article looking at which NBA personalities and players have WWE counterparts. Here are some extracts from the article:

LeBron James Is John Cena

Hey, basketball fans: You know that illicit charge you feel during every James fourth-quarter meltdown? And how when you see a kid in a no. 6 Heat jersey, you just shake your head and wonder what kind of parents would allow him to root for that idiot? And you know how, no matter how much you hate James, deep down you’re glad that he’s there, just to have somebody to boo? Welcome to pro wrestling fans’ relationship with our flag-bearer, the face of WWE, John Cena.

Carmelo Anthony Is Triple H

Both guys jumped from smaller markets to be the biggest star on the biggest stage. Along the way, both guys seemed to think they deserved more glory than they were getting. Both guys married public figures (Melo wed LaLa and Triple H said his vows to Stephanie McMahon). They each have reputations for being selfish and egotistic, and for holding others (like Lin and Chris Jericho) down to maintain their place at the top of the food chain. Because of this, they’re both hated by a huge swath of the fan base, to the point that it clouds how great they actually are. Melo and Triple H can do many things better than almost all their peers, which is why it’s so frustrating that their “characters” are all people talk about. Eventually, they’ll both go into the Hall of Fame, and we’ll probably forget how they were so unpopular that they were underrated for the second halves of their careers. Hey, you know who else is hated? He’s coming up next.

Kobe Bryant Is “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

Above all else, both Kobe and Flair are the most despised stars of their generation. (And as much as people love Flair now, I’m sure we’ll all be hypnotized by history into loving Kobe about a decade after he retires.) They’re both old-timers who keep plugging away at a relatively high level with incredible longevity, seemingly at odds with Father Time.